Also - need some help with the saddle. The markings say that it's a Brooks Vinesse 600. A model I've never heard of. It has a plastic base, that says that it was made in Italy under license by Brooks, and doesn't have any manufacturer markings. It's also cracked...Any idea on whether this saddle would be original, an add-on, where it came from, etc?

And yes, I did pop it off of the rails to take better photos - the rails ARE there...

Since this thread has brought all of the Raleigh Professional experts out of the woodwork, I thought I'd ask a few questions that I have about one I was given. (Yes, that means free, as in $0. And, yes, I will post pics as soon as I get a chance to clean it up a bit. Although, you may not like them, since I plan on converting it to single-speed for lower maintenance. I know, I know... I didn't know what they were giving me, and I suspect they didn't either. I was just looking for a steel frame to convert for cheap.)

From my research it appears that I have a Mk IV. But, I've been unable to determine precisely what year. Are there any telltale markings that could help narrow it down?

The S/N is A8676. It has the "CC" cutout in the BB, chrome half stay and half fork, sloping chrome fork crown, fastback cluster, a Carlton Race Proved Workshop sticker on the seattube (in addition to the usual "Reynolds 531" stickers), and Campy high-flange hubs mated to Weinmann "Made in Belgium" 27"x1.25" rims. The stem is a Nitto Technomic and the bars are engraved GB alloy. It also has Dura Ace brake levers, but I suspect these were changed. The calipers are Campy, as are the seatpost, cranks, pedals, etc. It even has the Cristophe toe clips (although the leather straps have been updated). It is the Blue Mink/Silver color scheme.

What is the purpose of the "CC" cutout in the bottom of the BB? (It was duct-taped over when I got it. There is a plastic BB protector sleeve visible.)

What is the purpose of the holes in the Campy high-flange hub shells? (Some sort of maintenance port, I assume?)

My bike center to top measures 24.5". It's pretty tall, but when I'm in the saddle, it fits me perfectly, height-wise. My biggest problem with it is that it's so freakin' LONG! I had a hard time at first getting used to being so stretched out.

and as an aside - it's got these little, screwed on "things" at the back of the rear dropouts...WTH are those for? You can see them in the photo of the RD, kinda...

My bike center to top measures 24.5". It's pretty tall, but when I'm in the saddle, it fits me perfectly, height-wise. My biggest problem with it is that it's so freakin' LONG! I had a hard time at first getting used to being so stretched out.

and as an aside - it's got these little, screwed on "things" at the back of the rear dropouts...WTH are those for? You can see them in the photo of the RD, kinda...

Those are called dropout adjusters. Using them makes it much quicker and easier to consistently position the rear wheel whenever it has to be removed (to change a flat, or swap out freewheels, or whatever).

Fantastic find, but the rust on the BB shell looks pretty bad, I hope it just looks worse than it is but if the shell is eaten away you may have to spend some real $$ on a repair. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. When you repack the BB make sure there's a plastic "accordion" sleeve to provide some protection to the working parts. Other than that, the ventilation holes (whatever the shapes) *usually* do more good than harm since the let more moisture out than in (in theory that is). Your best bet for a reasonable wheelset for 6-spd is here (WTB thread) or your local Craigslist.

It's honestly not bad at all. The paint is bubbling a bit, but you can scrape off the rust with a fingernail - it truly is the definition of surface rust. The BB doesn't appear to have an "accordion" in it, but it does appear to have a flat plastic insert...

The original saddle for this bike was a large rivet brooks professional. Save your pennies; they ain't often cheap. on a practical note, you can put most any saddle that fits your butt on the bike...and almost no one will be the wiser.

It's personal opinion and we all differ here but since you got that relatively rare Raleigh Pro for next to nothing, why not bring it some former glory? I think a Brooks Team Pro would be the perfect choice for this bike and once broken in, it's one of the most comfortable saddles out there. From this vantage point, it looks far more at home on the vintage Raleigh Pro than the slightly more stately B-17. I cant recommend it highly enough, especially since you'll sometimes find a lightly used offering on eBay that's half way broken in and in excellent condition. You see the saddle below? That's an eBay Brooks Team Pro I nabbed for $65 and while I loved my trusty San Marco Concor Supercorsa, this beast turned the corner on this bike, besides making it comfortable for hours at a time, even if in the drops. Actually, the Team Pro does BETTER if you ride hard and you have bars below seat. I think your $10 Pro deserves a step up and a few extra dollars over the B-17. Personally, I might carry that line of thought in other areas as well, especially in getting it back to shape, rust-wise. You saved enough to potentially fix this beast up right.

Note: The final shot is similar Mk V with Brooks Team Pro, and besides some cabling routing and slope, is a lovely example as well. Notice the fork difference

Thanks. Now that we've got photos, are there any other parts that you'd like to see? And what makes it a Mk. 5? Also, how can you tell it's a pro, as opposed to something else? Also, what does the serial number mean? May, 1979, 376th one built?

Also, it doesn't have any markings on it (raleigh or professional) did this "edition" have those, or was it unmarked, like this one? I'm assuming that they just didn't add it back when they repainted it.

And as far as not having a digital camera - $70K in student loans, a $55K mortgage and a $3K car payment on a 2nd year teacher's salary pretty much taps me out. One of the reasons I started commuting on bike.

Oh BOY am I eating humble pie over my earlier comments! Mickey really did get a Raleigh Pro with full Campag for next to nothing - awesome find!!! Now who's feeling stupid for thinking that "Seeing's believing and if you can't see aphoto then it doesn't exist" A million apologies.

Oldpeddaller - The older I get, the better I used to be !!!" ***** If at first you don't succeed - hit it with a hammer.

It's personal opinion and we all differ here but since you got that relatively rare Raleigh Pro for next to nothing, why not bring it some former glory? I think a Brooks Team Pro would be the perfect choice for this bike and once broken in, it's one of the most comfortable saddles out there. From this vantage point, it looks far more at home on the vintage Raleigh Pro than the slightly more stately B-17. I cant recommend it highly enough, especially since you'll sometimes find a lightly used offering on eBay that's half way broken in and in excellent condition. You see the saddle below? That's an eBay Brooks Team Pro I nabbed for $65 and while I loved my trusty San Marco Concor Supercorsa, this beast turned the corner on this bike, besides making it comfortable for hours at a time, even if in the drops. Actually, the Team Pro does BETTER if you ride hard and you have bars below seat. I think your $10 Pro deserves a step up and a few extra dollars over the B-17. Personally, I might carry that line of thought in other areas as well, especially in getting it back to shape, rust-wise. You saved enough to potentially fix this beast up right.

Note: The final shot is similar Mk V with Brooks Team Pro, and besides some cabling routing and slope, is a lovely example as well. Notice the fork difference

That saddle certainly seems to be incredibly similar to the original (well, Sheldon's material says that it was a Pro that was originally on it). I plan on buying a Brooks for it as soon as possible, but when fitting my much more comfortable (and much less broke) Bell X-mart saddle on it yesterday evening, so I could ride it and not worry about breaking my junk, I discovered that the aluminum seat post seems very stuck...

That saddle certainly seems to be incredibly similar to the original (well, Sheldon's material says that it was a Pro that was originally on it). I plan on buying a Brooks for it as soon as possible, but when fitting my much more comfortable (and much less broke) Bell X-mart saddle on it yesterday evening, so I could ride it and not worry about breaking my junk, I discovered that the aluminum seat post seems very stuck...

Search this forum for that topic. We have had very long threads on that very subject.